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Explanations: No. 14704 – Thursday, 16 February 2012

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How did you fare with this crossword?

Across
1 Picture on the wall that’s not needed outside the school (10)
EXTRA-MURAL
Picture on the wall that’s not needed (EXTRA MURAL) = EXTRAMURAL: outside the school. 6 Lawyer backing a firm alliance (4) BL-OC
Lawyer (BL) a firm, ‘co.’, backing (OC) = BLOC: alliance. 10 Push for a Cockney hell for the little devil, so to speak (5) IMPEL
A Cockney hell for the little devil (IMP ‘ELL) so to speak, for = IMPEL: push. 11 Roamed about in arid surroundings? Yep, it did! (9) DR(OMEDAR)Y
In “arid” surroundings (DR-Y) “roamed” about (OMEDAR) = DROMEDARY: Yep, it did roam about in arid surroundings. 12 Aware of something posted about the draw with the North? (8) SEN(TIE-N)T
Posted (SEN-T) about “the draw” with “the North” (TIE-N) = SENTIENT: aware (of something). 13 Start being broadcast where it’s filmed (5) ON-SET
Being broadcast (ON) where it’s filmed (SET) 15 Lieutenants taking in song, they’re thrown for a loop! (7) L(ARIA)TS
Lieutenants (L-TS) taking in “song” (ARIA) = LARIATS: they’re thrown for a loop. 17 Using the library to find Wilde’s gaol (7) READING
Using the library (READING) to find Wilde’s gaol (READING). 19 1-down part of Rushdie’s title (7) SATANIC
EVIL (SATANIC) part of Rushdie’s title (SATANIC) i.e. “The Satanic Verses”. 21 Maybe Sam Spade managed a half-laugh for one in a dangerous school (7) PI-RAN-HA
Maybe Sam Spade (PI) managed (RAN) a half-laugh (HA) for = PIRANHA: one in a dangerous school. 22 Washed up there a couple of days before D-Day reportedly? (5) BIDET
A couple of days before “D” day (B-DAY) reportedly = BIDET: washed up there. 24 More suggestive and direct around a boyfriend in Paris (8) STE(AMI)ER
Direct (STE-ER) around “a boyfriend in Paris” (AMI) and = STEAMIER: more suggestive. 27 Where the heart is crazy for trees? (9) CHEST-NUTS
Where the heart is (CHEST) crazy (NUTS) for = CHESTNUTS: trees. 28 One learning to be an optician perhaps? (5) PUPIL
One learning (PUPIL) one learning to be an optician perhaps? (PUPIL). 29 Kind work at the post office, maybe (4) SORT
Kind (SORT) work at the post office maybe (SORT). 30 Came back for pear, stewed and not, with Edward (10) REAP-PEAR-ED
“Pear” stewed (REAP) and “pear” not stewed (PEAR) with “Edward” (ED) for = REAPPEARED: came back.

Down
1 The First Lady will quickly say it can’t be good (4)
EVIL
The First Lady will quickly (EVE’LL) say = EVIL: it can’t be good. 2 Classified a wig maybe? (3-6) TOP-SECRET
Classified (TOP-SECRET) a wig maybe? (TOP-SECRET). 3 Announced a great deal to distribute (5) ALLOT
A great deal (A LOT) announced = ALLOT: to distribute. 4 A French doctor’s to get at the wound (7) UN-DR’ESS
“A” French (UN) doctor (DR) ‘s (ESS) = UNDRESS: to get at the wound. 5 One taking in more fitting surroundings for the party (7) A(DO)PTER
In “more fitting” surroundings for (A-PTER) “the party” (DO) = ADOPTER: one taking in. 7 The young men ring inside a whole bunch (5) L(O)ADS
The young men (L-ADS) “ring” inside (O) = LOADS: a whole bunch. 8 3.18.25.16.20.15.7.18.1.13 (10) CRYPTOGRAM
This is the basic cryptogram, where A=1, B=2, C=3 etc so 3.18.25.16.20.15.7.18.1.13 = C.R.Y.P.T.O.G.R.A.M 9 Gracious, Deborah! Such a pleasant way to walk! (8) DEB-ON-AIR
Deborah (DEB) such a pleasant way to walk (ON AIR) = DEBONAIR: gracious. 14 They’re out of order ostentatious defenders of football (10) FLASH-BACKS
Ostentatious (FLASH) defenders of football (BACKS) = FLASHBACKS: they’re out of order. 16 Make a marginal addition for the woman round at the gallery (8) ANN-O-TATE
The woman (ANN) round (O) at “the gallery” (TATE) = ANNOTATE: make a marginal addition. 18 Key distributor for the ‘Kildare Record’ in private? (9) INN(KE-EP)ER
In “private” (INN-ER) the “Kildare” “record” (KE-EP) for = INNKEEPER: the key distributor. 20 Price to return Big Bird that’s seen at Halloween (7) COST-UME
Price (COST) big bird, ‘emu’, to return (UME) = COSTUME: that’s seen at Halloween. 21 Higgins to eat well and exercise (5-2) PRES-S-UP
Higgins (PRES) to eat well (SUP) and = PRESS-UP: exercise. 23 Gloomy doctor with a gift for music (5) DR-EAR
Doctor (DR) with “a gift for music” (EAR) = DREAR: gloomy. 25 Chart the French wood (5) MAP-LE
Chart (MAP) “the” French (LE) = MAPLE: wood. 26 Pleased to see a flower short-term? (4) GLAD
A flower (GLADIOLUS) short-term, to see? = GLAD: pleased.